Martin The Warrior
by Martin Le Guerrier
Summary: Martin the Warrior falls in love, again, but his first love, whom is deceased, isn't too happy about it.....our warrior doesn't know who to trust, I mean, the dead can't be jealous of a living being..................can they?
1. Martin's Joke

"Wakey, wakey, matey. Or I'll shove cheese down your ears and steal your whiskers for my own!"  
  
"Burr aye, and oi'll eat ee's breffist all oop, zurr Marthen, and leave none fer 'ee!"  
  
"Aye, Din, that you'll do, and I'll gloat my new whiskers while our lazy friend here snoozes away his seasons!"  
  
Columbine, a young mouse, was passing by when she heard Gonff and Dinny taunting sleeping Martin, their Abbey warrior. She, of course, didn't know it was a game.  
  
"Gonff, you'll do no such thing! Imagine, stealing another mouse's whiskers when you have rather fine ones of your own! And, you Dinny.....I thought Foremoles were curtious. You will not eat Martin's breakfast, why, you've just finished your own!"  
  
Foremole Dinny and Gonff, the Prince of Mousethieves, stared at Columbine, wife of Gonff, in disvelief. Torrents of laughter filled their ears and they whipped around.  
  
Martin was hanging over the side of the bed, helpless with laughter. He toppled over the side, tangled in the sheets.  
  
"Hooheeheehahahoheeooo! Nice touch, adding Columbine. That's new." Gonff raised an eyebrow at his wife.  
  
"Actually, we didn't add Columbine. She's new to use, too." This caused even more hilarity among the small group.  
  
"I don't see what you're laughing at Martin," stated Bella, the Abbey Badger who was passing by. "Ferdy and Coggs are eating your breakfast. Another few seconds and you'll have to starve until lunch!"  
  
Martin's mock fury lit up his face. Without a word he leaped forward and grasped his sword, sprinting out towards Cavern Hole. The role-playing group followed. When Martin reached the Cavern, he bounded onto the table in front of Ferdy and Coggs. The two hedgehogs calpped their arms around each other and began to quake with fear as they looked up the blade of the weapon weilded by the warrior.  
  
"Arr! You filthy blaggards! Where's my brekfis'?" The hedgehogs shook their heads in responce.  
  
"W-what are you talking about Martin? We d-didn't s-see your b-b-br.....food." They hid their heads against each other as the warrior's blade loomed closer.   
  
"NO ONE MESSES WITH MY FOOD!" the warrior yelled, "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" Suddenly, Martin fell onto the table, his ears splattered with cream, laughing. Ferdy and Coggs were stunned.  
  
"HAHAHEEEHEEEHOOOOOAAAAAHAHAHA!" Martin rolled off the table, covered in cream and pudding. Gonff, forever the comic, sprinted in, grabbing Martin's tail.  
  
"Ha! Now you've done it, m'buckoes! Our Warrior here has obviously gone mad with grief over his loss of food!" Gonff, with the help of Dinny, hoisted Martin to his feet. The sturdy mouse played along, transforming from a laughing mess to a sober mouse, whose whiskers drooped. He sucked in his flat stomach and his cheeks. Martin began howling with grief.  
  
"OOWWWWW! OWOWOWOWOOO! My food, my precious food...." he began grappling Gonff's and Dinny's paws, absolutely howling. "Please sirs, spare an old poor mouse some food, it must have been years since I had a good slice of cheese, no pudding, no cream, just a starving mouse......haven't eaten for...days...Oh! Please! HAHAHEHE HEEEHOOOAAAHA! Funniest thing, really, wot!" The acting mouse pushed his paws up behind his ears, making them look longer, as he imitated a hare.  
  
"Wot, wot, m'buckoes. Eaten a young rip's food, eh? Bad form, sahs!" He turned his blade on them and his face turned menacing. His personality changed yet again. "ARR! Mateys, y'think yer gettin' away wit' my food, eh? Harrharrharr! Swivvel m'timbers, y'ain't gettin' none! Y'hear!" Again, Martin collapsed in laughter as Ferdy and Coggs shivered and quaked.  
  
"Y-You can have your food, Martin, w-we, er, didn't, er, eat any..." the hedgehogs put on their best "I hope he doesn't kill me" sort of nervous smiles. Gonff shook his head at them and started dragging the helpless Martin out of Cavern Hole. Dinny tapped his nose to the two quivering hedgehogs.  
  
"Hurr, oi'm 'oping that ee rearlized that'n t'was a joke, zurrs, burr aye!" Bella, Columbine, Gonff, and Dinny, along with the rest of the assembly (except of course Ferdy and Coggs) burst into laughter. Martin just stared at them. Mockingly, he asked:  
  
"What are you all laughing at?" Then he joined in their laughter.  
  
  
  



	2. The Maid of the Clearing

A NOTE from the Author: HEY! IT'S PART TWO! .......Just a reminder, I don't own any of the Redwall characters, just to few that I made up!  
  
Ferdy and Coggs were dumb-founded until Martin threw a paw around each of their shoulders. He explained to them in a whisper and he offered them some meadow-cream and strawberries.  
  
Later that day Martin went with some Dibbuns into the wood to pick some blackberries since they were in season. A small whisper of a breeze slipped past the warrior's ear, tusseling his whiskers. Next to him, he noticed Gonff's nose twitch irritatedly. He slowed his pace to allow Gonfflet the lead, he slowed enough to soon be at the back of the group, along with Bella.  
  
"Bella," he said, "get the Dibbuns back, there's someone here who isn't supposed to be."  
  
"I was just going to say that, matey," replied Gonff, who had appeared on the badger's other side.  
  
"Very well. C'mon, Dibbuns, we're going back to Redwall Abbey." Gonfflet, son of Gonff, was indignant. Like father, like son.  
  
"No! We gunna pick'm burries and we'm gunna eat'm allup! No villyuns like yerself is gunna stop's" Gonfflet picked up a stick and attempted to pass it as a sword, waving it to and fro in the crisp breeze. Bella grunted and picked him up in her huge paw with ease. The rest of the dibbuns followed easily, with their leader being led by his paw.  
  
Gonff whipped out his dagger and Martin nodded, drawing a small belt-knife he was going to use to cut a branch off for planting. Martin gestured for Gonff to follow him, though Gonff was already headed in the direction that both their instincts pointed out. Stalking slowly and silently, the two mice picked their way through the vegetation.  
  
Martin signaled for the thief to wait while he scoped out their situation, who was there, and how many there were. He creeped forward and crouched behind an oak, poking his nose out far enough so he could see the vermin.  
  
But Martin didn't see a vermin. It wasn't a rat, it wasn't a ferret, or stoat, it most definitely was not a fox. It was.....a female mouse. She sat there, lying against a tree as if she knew the territory, as if it were her home, but Martin had never seen her in Mossflower before, and he knew everybeast in Mossflower country, just as everybeast knew him.  
  
Martin crawled back to Gonff, he wasn't going to under-estimate this maiden, his warrior instincts taught him to be wary of everybeast. Gonff saw Martin coming and began following him towards the maid. As they came to the oak that Martin had hid behind they looked out to the beech where she was previously seated. Previously.  
  
Gonff raised an eyebrow at his friend and twitched his whiskers jokingly. Martin sat staring, where was she? His back stiffened, she had saw him. His closed his eyes as he sighed. Gonff's whiskers stood straight out, awaiting the danger. Gonff narrowed his eyes, the fur on the back of his neck stood up. Martin stood erect against the tree trunk, his eyes plastered to his left, where the maid was coming from.  
  
She emerged from the loam, smiling a smile that could melt stone from it's foundations. Martin's whiskers drooped, she seemed so alone, even though she hid it. He caught himself willing her to speak, to hear her voice. The warrior shook himself mentally, he was acting a fool.  
  
"What do you two beasts want in my clearing?" she asked sweeting, interjecting the insult as if it were honey. Martin did admit, he and Gonff looked silly in their dirt-strewn habits, but this maid's tunic was covered in loam and leaves, a twig stuck out from the fur behind her ear. Martin remained the Abbey-mouse he was.  
  
"I don't know of your clearing, all of Mossflower belongs to all the creatures. We are from Redwall Abbey, you are welcome to stay there."  
  
"And bathe there," added Gonff, heavily. Martin tapped his sandal from beneath the habit.  
  
"Please," added the warriormouse, "we will take you there, but first, what is your name?"  
  
"Am I expected to give you my name when you haven't even given your own?" she asked sweetly, Gonff coughed.  
  
"Suspicious," the theif whispered to Martin, Gonff could always be counted on for first impressions. Martin pushed it aside. Surely one so beautiful couldn't be deserving of such suspicion.  
  
"I am Martin," he said, before his campanion could stop him, "and this is Gonff." Gonff gave a curt nod in recognition. Highly unlike him, thought the warriormouse. "Please, accompany us to the Abbey." The maid nodded, and began following.  
  
"You still haven't given us your name," objected Gonff. Again, her smile light of her face, not to mention Martin's eyes. Gonff didn't like it. The maid didn't respond for a second or two. Whatever name she gave, would be false, Gonff concluded.  
  
"Perigold Lubior," was her response. Perigold, thought Martin, how beautiful................  
  
  
Afterthoughts: don't really, it doesn't get all mushy and junk. Part Three will be coming out soon!  
  
  



	3. Perigold's Party

  
Perigold followed Martin, Gonff brought up the rear. When they got to the Abbey, Martin help open the wide gate for Perigold and followed her in awe, leaving Gonff the hold open the door for himself. The Redwallers were astounded with Perigold and Abbess Germaine ordered a small feast in the honor of her joining them. Gonff scowled in the background.  
  
"C'mon, Gonff, what do you have against her?" asked Columbine, who immediately took to the maid. Gonflet chuckled at his dad.  
  
"Yeah, Daddy....I know what'll cheer y'up! Let's go pinch'a pies!" Gonff allowed his son a smile and ruffled his ears.  
  
"Aye, not now, matey. Got some rogue business to attend to....Tell you what, I got a top secret job for you, you guard your mother, get a sword and guard her with your life, all the Redwallers' lives depend on you son!" Gonflet swelled his check and grabbed a twig from the ground to be a dagger.  
  
While Gonflet paraded arounded Columbine, waving his "dagger" in the air and yelling for the "villyuns" to try to get past him, Gonff left to find Martin.  
  
  
  
"For the last time Gonff, I won't believe it. She hasn't done anything to you, she's barely even been here!" Martin scolded. Gonff could see he was hopeless. Most of the Redwallers were hopeless. But there had to be someone.  
  
During the whole feast, Gonff kept silent, which was highly unlike him. Bella seemed to notice his silence, though all the others were too busy talking to Perigold, who couldn't stop talking to Martin.  
  
After the feast, Coggs pulled out his Hogtwanger, and began strumming a song, at once Perigold pulled Martin to dance, who shyly declined. She persisted until he agreed. After that song was over, all the other male Redwallers wanted to dance with Perigold, so she was kept busy dancing all night.  
  
Gonff would have used this opportunity to talk to Martin, but he knew if he persisted one more time, Martin would have his tail. Bella slowly eased herself up and sat down next to Gonff.  
  
"Do you get a funny feeling about that maid?"  
  
"Why do you ask?" replied Gonff, astounded. Was Bella the other one who could tell this maid was trouble? Bella laughed at the questiong, her hearty, barking laugh helped Gonff feel better.  
  
"Ha! You're probably the only male who is not dancing with the maid, married or not. Whatever her real name may be. Even the dibbuns are dancing with her, though they dance ten at a time."  
  
"Aye, matey," added Skipper, who had appeared on the other side of the mousethief. "The Perigold girl gives me a quesy feeling in m'bread basket, and that doesn't happen offen, mate." Skipper's good-natured humor never seemed to leave him. The burly otter winked at Gonff.   
  
"Well, Bella m'badger. What do y'reckon we should do?" Gonff turned his nose hopefully up at the giant.  
  
"We call the hares," she nodded. Gonff's face lit in a smile. The hares. The Long Patrol, they could help them. The hares.  
  
"My thoughts exactly, 'old gel.' " Bella smiled at Skippers impersonation. Gonff had just one thing to say.  
  
"When do we leave to go find them?" Bella and Skipper seemed to consider that for a second. They seemed to be remembering that it had taken a whole season for Martin, Gonff, and Dinny to find Salamandastron.  
  
"We send a runner," replied Skipper. "The hares will come." Gonff swallowed his excitement. The hares would solve it.  
  
For a little while longer, the trio watched the festivities before Bella rounded up all the dibbuns and advised the older beasts to go to bed also. Martin showed Perigold to her room, but she said she would like to stay up longer and talk with him. Martin agreed and everybeast went to bed. For a moment the two mice just sat there in Cavern Hole, next to the fire. Then Martin ventured to ask a question that had been bothering him.  
  



	4. The Past of Perigold

  
"How did you come here?" The words escaped Martin before he could think better of it. Perigold sighed. A worry-line appeared across her brow.  
  
"It's a long story," she sighed again. The warrior placed a paw around her narrow shoulders.  
  
"We have time," he urged her. Perigold filled her lungs sufficiently before she spoke.  
  
"It all started when I was very young, it must have been five or six seasons ago.................  
  
  
|| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |   
  
  
I woke up early in the morning, before the sun had even begun to show. It was still dark, but I could hear yelling and fighting outside our cave. I yelled for my mother, but I couldn't even hear myself above the din that the fighting was causing. I wanted dearly to find my mother, even though I was only a few seasons, so I wandered out of the cave.  
  
What I saw was horrible...rats and corsairs were everywhere, ferrets and stoats crowded our shore. My tribe's warriors were being cut down quickly. The sand was littered with dead bodies, mostly of mice. Good mice who hadn't murdered coldly in their life. And here were these vermin, murdering them in cold blood. I tried to look away, but a vermin fox caught my chin and turned me towards the violence.  
  
'D'ya see that, m'pretty? Arrharrharr!' he laughed. He laughed. He laughed as mice were killed and brutally murdered. He laughed. He laughed at the dead. Scorned them. I hated him for laughing. I wanted him to stop.   
  
That was when I bit into his paw. He howled and sucked on his paw, cursing something awful. I ran away, uphill, as fast as I could go, I could hear him chasing him. Him and a group of other vermin, as cold as himself. I knew I had to run.  
  
I knew if I got away, he wouldn't be able to laugh about me being dead. So I ran. I ran until I was so tired I couldn't run anymore. But they were still coming after me. I ran to the left and climbed up a tree, sitting on the highest branch I could manage, which, I suppose now, would have been very low. I held my breath...I could hear them coming.  
  
They ran under me, not one of them looking up. Idiots. They never look up. Once I couldn't hear them anymore, I climbed down. Then I realized that they may come back this way, back to their corsair ship, when they decided they couldn't catch me. And if I was caught standing there, the fox would laugh.  
  
I climbed into a different tree, a little farther away. I found the widest branch I could, and fell asleep, waiting for day.  
__________________________________________________________  
  
It was full light when I woke up, I woke up to hearing that fox laughing again.  
I looked down to see the vermin beneath my branch, quarreling with each other. The fox weilded a scimitar, a fallen stoat lay beneath it. His throat was slit. I tried to turn away, but thee dead stoat didn't bother me as much as dead mice. He had murdered. And maybe, he had laughed.  
  
'Arhahahrrr! That'll teach yer ter tell me we're losted! I'm the h'ossifer 'round 'ere an' you'll do's I say, y'hear me? Well, me buckoes, yer lucky cause'n t'wasn't you I hear done an' killed.' He laughed more and he stalked away, the group of quivering vermin followed him. They were all sniveling cowards. Only made brave by sheer numbers.  
  
After they left I walked. I don't think I knew where I was going, I still don't. All I know is that I ended up with a mole family. But I suppose they lived too close to the shore as well, because the vermin got them too. Luckily, I was out picking berries and the vermin were long gone by the time I got back. After that I journeyed inland, and south, to get away from the shores.  
  
||||||||||||||||||||||  
  
And that's how I came here."  
  



	5. A Plan Worth Plotting

Perigold burst into tears, wiping her eyes with a back-paw. Martin thrust his paw around her shoulders.  
  
"I think you should get some rest." She nodded and Perigold was escorted to her room.  
  
  
  
In the morning, Gonff arose early, his boundless rallying Bella and Skipper to council. Finally, they decided to talk to Amber SquirrelQueen.  
  
|||||||||||| |  
  
"I don't see why you three don't like the maid. She seems perfectly fine to me, but do what you like, I'll gladly send on of my quirrels to accompany the otter."  
  
This was not what the trio had wanted to hear, but Amberhad agreed to send one of her squirrels, and that was good enough for them. Their plan was starting to fall together. Next was the difficult part: the persuasion of Chibb.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"C'mon, matey," coaxed Gonff. "There's no danger in it, fly along and see to your orders, Chibb, that's all, and think of all the candied chestnuts that are in it for you, m'bird!"  
  
"Ahem, hurrumph, hmph, well, ahem, there is still the distance, and no doubt the danger of prairie eagles." Gonff smiled at the thought of "prairie eagles." If there were any, eagles on the prairie, Gonff was sure they wouldn't want to be called that. Bella assessed the situation quickly.  
  
"Yes, you are quite correct, Chibb, and therefore, the offer stands as before, two bags now, for your journey, and two more upon your return. And of course, if you should be attacked by any type of large eagle your fee shall be doubled...agreed?" Chibb greedily nodded his head and they left him with a small bag to hold him over until his duty was to be fulfilled. Next the three paid a visit to Camp Willow.  
  
Upon their arrival, Skipper set off to find the young otter, Spring, whom they had chosen to find the hares. Each animal, however, would play a different role. Spring was young, flexible, and strong, so obviously, she was the perfect otter for the job...no to mention the fact that she could carry things well, even in the water, on her back.  
  
Spring was the jolly sort of otter, quite like Skipper, she agreed readily, in her jovial sort of way.  
  
"Of course, mateys. I like jolly well liked those hares when they came that one time from Salamanda-whatsit. What'll I have to do, Skip?" Bella told her that they would be meeting later that night in Cavern Hole with the others she would be going with to inform them all of what was happening. Bark, the squirrel, was the last to ask.  
  
"Well," he said, "if the Queen said so, I'll do it." And later that night, all of the chosen animals gathered in the hole, otter, squirrel, and robin, to receive their instructions.  
  



	6. It All Falls Together...Almost

After a few minutes of silence, Bella stood up and turned to the three chosen to find the hares.  
  
"We want you three to find the hares," she said shortly. Spring cocked her head in a playful way while Bark twitched his tail impatiently. But it was Chibb who spoke what was on all of their minds.  
  
"Ahem, hurrumph, hem, well, ahem, how, might I ask?" Bella looked like she was about to tell them when Skipper held up a restraining paw.  
  
"Let me do the honors, bucko. Now, you each have individual tasks, though part of them are together. Spring, your job is this: carry Bark through the Great South Stream, until you reach the mountain."  
  
"At the mountain, Chibb comes into action," interrupted Bella. "He will inform the winged mice of your arrival and they will carry you over the waterfall and guide you through their lair and down the other side of the mountain. Once that is done, Chibb will return here." Gonff finished for them.  
  
"Bark, matey, your job is for the marshtoads. You are to fire lots o' arrows, mate. After that is all done, you two travel through the marsh will the help of Snakefish, Spring will carry you, Bark, to the mountain of Salamandastron, upon where, mateys, you will find the hares, and bring them back here."  
  
"What do we tell the hares when we get there?" asked Bark, pulling a twig out of his tail-fur.  
  
"That's simple, mate," said Skipper. "You tell them that it is urgent, of course, and they come. Tell them we are afraid Martin our warriormouse is in trouble."  
  
"What kind of --?" Spring started, but Gonff put a paw on her snout to keep her from finishing the question.  
  
"You don't need to know that, matey. Have you talked to Perigold lately?" he asked slyly.  
  
"Yes, she's wonderful, isn't she? I think Martin really likes her, and I say, mate, good for him."  
  
"Exactly," said Bella, nodding thanks to Gonff.  
  
  
  
"So what do you think this is all really about?" asked Bark to Spring, barely an hour after they had set out the next morning. Spring attempted to shrug her shoulders in a jolly manner, but Bark's weight on her back prevented her. Managing not to swallow water, she spoke.  
  
"I dunno, mate. But I bet Bella and Skip got their reasons, even if Gonff has always been a bounder."  
  
"Ahem, well, hurrumph, I suppose I'd like to know. Don't understand it, hem, simple job really, to be give all those chestnuts..." he spoke through a mouthful of the candied chestnuts that had been payment for the job.  
  
"Well, when it's all done, it'll all be said, I s'pose," answered Bark.  
  
After many hours of swimming, Spring was tired, but still as rambunctious as always. She bounded onto land, grabbed the water-proof haversack from Bark and thrust a paw into it.  
  
"Nothing like some vittles, matey, after a hard day o' swimmin'!" Bark nodded, shaking water droplets off his damp paws.   
  
"Tomorrow's another day," he reminded her. She nodded and said jovially that they were at least out of the hills now, for they had already passed the ford.  
  
After another day of swimming non-stop, at a furious pace, they were almost upon the mountain of Lord Cravar's tribe. Chibb sped up and went to go inform the winged mice as Spring rested and Bark enjoyed the sun. It seemed to have taken a while, but Spring and her squirrel companion only supposed that the winged mice were simply feeding him and he was being to selfish to return quickly. After an hour or two, the robin returned.  
  



	7. Laterose ... Guardian of Redwall

A/N: HOLY SMOKES! This took me FOREVER to get up! Don't blame me, it's all because of school and Mr. Kortright, not to mention Mrs. Borrmann, the dirty English teacher! TOO MANY ESSAYS! TOO LITTLE TIME! Oh well, here it is, this weekend I should have s'more up too! THANK'EE KINDLY, MARMS and SAHS!  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
Martin woke up sweating, tears saturated his whiskers. The dream had been beautiful, yet so sad ... and scary. And scary. He couldn't exactly place his paw on it, though. The dream had seemed to float away from him. Afloat on cool spring air ... cool spring air? What had made him think of that? He shrugged it off, what he didn't know couldn't hurt him, but what bothered him was that he knew it, but had forgotten.  
  
In Cavern Hole Martin found Perigold and sat next to her. She smiled sweetly at him from over her strawberry scone, he twitched his whiskers, too in thought to smile back. Perigold seemed taken aback, but continued eating her hot scone without question.  
  
"This food makes what I'm used to taste like it's poisoned!" she joked smiling toothily. But this just made the warrior frown even more. Suddenly, jolted by the statement, the dream came flooding back to him- spring air ... poison ... spring air ... poison ... spring air ... singing ... Rose!  
  
  
[the dream]  
  
  
"Rose?" Her face drifted into his slumbering vision, smiling with a worried look in her eyes. "Rose ..." She didn't respond. Martin reached out, but the shrouding mist thickened until all he could hear was her voice, her beautiful voice.  
  
"Oh Martin, Oh Martin  
I feel your breath  
The moments we shared  
I will ne'er forget  
  
Oh Martin, Oh Martin  
Your happiness true  
I'll tell you now  
She's the wrong maid for you  
  
Oh Martin, Oh Martin  
Please pay me some heed  
Don't hug her or kiss her  
As you would me  
  
Oh Martin, Oh Martin  
For safety so fair  
She's evil in beauty  
Like poison afloat in spring air  
  
Oh Martin, Oh Martin  
Please do this for me  
Oh Martin, Oh Martin  
I'll come to thee ... ... ..."  
  
"ROSE!" he shouted, but the mist was complete now, and her voice was fading. "Rose, no ROSE!" He shook in fitful anger, sweating as he plowed through the mist, trying to locate her, only to find his efforts in vain ... he was awakening.  
  
[back to reality, lover boy]  
  
"Martin? ... ... Martin?!" The melody echoed through his mind, his ears ringing with the ghostly sound of Laterose of Noonvale.  
  
"What? Oh, yes, I'm okay, just ... memories." Perigold looked at him, trying vainly to be sympathetic, but there was something about her that made him believe she didn't give a cat's whisker. *No,* he told himself, *I'm just being silly. Yes, that's it, Perigold is fine ... "poison afloat in spring air" ... cool ... spring ... air, cool spring air ... * He watched as Perigold daintily licked strawberry from her fingers.  
  
"Come on, warrior! You ARE going to finish showing me the orchard, aren't you?"  
  
" ... What? ... Yes, yes, let's go now, I'm finished."  
  
"But you barely even ate!"  
  
"I'm not hungry, let's go, you'll love the orchard ..." He trailed off, hardly hearing himself. What had Rose meant? Could ... could the dead be jealous of the living? Could the dead be jealous at ALL?  
  
  
  



	8. Hares of Salamandastron

Chappie 8:  
  
  
  
DISCLAIMER: wait ... hold up, u already know this trash. I own Perigold, the little SNOT!, but I don't own Martin ... (ah, Martin! My fictional love!) ... and all these other peeps b/c they are all property of Brian Jacques, yea, that's right, he owns them!  
  
  
  
A/N: Ok, so now it skips ahead, Snakefish has helped our three runners through the marshlands and trash-toads, after, of course, they have visited with the bats and whatnot. They are traveling across the dunes ... to find the legendary Mt. of Salamandastron ... Home of the Badgerlords ... and home of the hares!  
  
AND HERE WE CONTINUE! HEAR YE, HEAR ME   
  
  
"Well, me lucky buckos, wot brings you to Salamanda-wotsit?" a hare said jovially to the two two exhausted travelers, Chibb having left for Mossflower again.   
  
"Why, matey, we came to get you an' yer pals," the otter responded, flicking her rudder-like tail.  
  
"Well, I say, old chap! Take us to this Redwall H'abbey o' yers!" The badgerlord Sunflash the Mace strode into the dining room.  
  
"No so fast, Colonel," he boomed, making the hare shy away.  
  
"Lack a day, sah! Almost scared the tuck out o' me! Bad form, sah!" The giant chuckled. Bark flicked his tail impatiently.  
  
"Maybe this will convince you ... Martin the Warrior is in trouble." Sunflash looked up.  
  
"I have heard of Martin the Warrior and my grandfather. Your warrior helped my grandsire at one point, and I am much in debt. Take me to this mouse, I will help how I can. I would also like to see the magnificent sword my grandfather made. Lead the way squirrel. Rest, first, and feed well. We will leave first light tomorrow! Colonel!"  
  
"Sah!"  
  
"How many do you believe we will need to help our warrior friend?"  
  
"I don't know, for sure, mate," Spring interrupted. "We don't hold many details, but our warrior friend is in trouble, and there is no attack on redwall, yet, though. At; least, none of us otters are aware of, from what I know."  
  
"Hmmm ..." The badger considered thoughtfully. Round up a score of hares, Colonel."  
  
"Yessah!"  
  
"Don't interrupt yet," The hare quieted with a insubordinate glance. "Pack as much food as that lot can carry, I'll not run these Redwallers out of house and home with yore stummicks!"  
  
"Our stummicks combined ar'nt as much as yores, y'old scoff- walloper," he muttered under his breath, but he carried out his orders and the next day twenty hares were ready to march- armed to the teeth and well fed.  
  
"Very glad you could accompany us, mate," Spring said to Lord Sunflash, who was weilding his mace lightly.  
  
"Obliged to come, marm," he responded without looking at her, but straight ahead towards Redwall.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
"Well?" Gonff asked impatiently. "Do you think they've found them yet?" Skipper chuckled.  
  
"Possibly, matey, Spring's a fast swimmer, and I don't doubt her strength, but not get your apron cords in a tizzy, mousethief." Gonff hardly smiled at the joke. Bella words comforted him more than anything Skip had said.  
  
"They will come, Gonff. And when they do, we will sort this out. Wait, my friend. Wait, it will be soon."  
  



	9. Eulalia!

A/N: Okay- so here she is, mates! The chap you've all been waiting for! The disclaimer's on a bunch o' other chaps, so leave me alone! "HENSKE HENSKE HE'S OUR MAN, IF HE CAN'T DO IT, MCKRACKEN CAN!"  
  
HERE THE INSANITY ENDS, AND A FIC BEGINS  
  
"Oh miss Per'gold? Come wiv' us! We show you alla Reddywall!" Perigold smiled at the little dibbuns.  
  
"Actually," she grinned, "I was just about to take a stroll into the woods. Any of you who care to come with can help me dig holes and then take baths in the stream! You know, get all scrubbed up!" The dibbuns bellowed and ran away in a rush of tails and tiny, pattering feet. 'Perigold' would have smiled, but her eyes narrowed maliciously as she slipped out of the wicker gate.  
  
Slowly the mouse crept through the forest until she was out of sight of the towering Abbey. She then picked up her pace and ran to a carefully concealed camp.  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
Gonff saw Martin sitting at tea all alone. He sat down beside him and winked cheekily.  
  
"Ahoy, matey! What's got you're whiskers in a knot?" The warrior looked up and half- smiled at his friend.  
  
"Oh, this 'n' that, mate. I just have a few things on my mind, that's all." Gonff stood up and walked back over to Skip and Bella.  
  
"Avast, m'cully!" Skip said. "Wot's got Martin in a blue funk?" Bella faced had a bemused look on it.  
  
"A 'blue funk', Skip?" Skipper laughed with the other two and winked cheerily.  
  
"Aye, me badger, 'tis worse than a red dibbun!" Bella's short barking laughs filled the cavern hole, but none seemed to care, as they were wrapped up in their own conversation. Gonff silently cast his glance past each and every beast present.  
  
Where was Perigold?  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Ah, Snitnose, you made it back!" The maiden ripped the rusty dagger from the fox's grasp. She flipped it and pressed it into his throut.  
  
"Snitnose, is it, mate? I don't know how yer mother raised yer, but I'm no Snitnose, y'hear? You watch it, or I'm gunna hafter deal wit' yer!" The maiden curtsied mockingly as she handed the dagger back to the vermin. She headed towards the tent in the center of the vermin camp. Inside she found a ferret whetting a blade upon a stone.  
  
"Haharr," he laughed. "If it isn't me old mate, 'Perigold'. Wot have ye got fer me, Peri?" Perigold shot the ferret a smug look. She told him all of Redwall, and of the green abbeybeasts inhabiting it. "Arr," he said when she was done. "Them orchards'll make it a good place, so will!"  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
The next morning, Martin awoke to the same scene as he had before: sweating brow, saturated whiskers, and tears streaming down his face. Only this time he had not seen Rose. This time he had seen death.  
  
The 2nd Dream  
  
"NOOOOOO!" Martin cried, trying to heft his sword, only to find it vanish into the ground. He grappled with the grass where it had disappeared, only to find himself coming up with dirt. He lifted his face just in time to see a huge fox lift a cutlass. The cutlass ran through Gonff in one easy motion. The warrior could feel a foebeast coming up behind him, he turned to face the opponent, only to find himself staring at Perigold.  
  
"Snitnose!" called the fox who had killed Gonff. "Kill 'em now!" Perigold smiled, only this was not the smile that Martin knew. This is a smile of deep loathing, hate. Malicious. She lifted a dagger slowly, Martin tried to move, but found that he couldn't.  
  
"Oh," said Perigold, aka Snitnose. "I'm going to enjoy this. It was fun, Marty, but all good things must come to an end, right? Yore Abbey was a good thing ... and now it is an end of you. Thank you for the Abbey, warrior ..." The blade came slicing down.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Martin screamed again. The dagger was a hair's breadth from his throat when it was countered with a javelin tip. Martin herd one word before he was knocked out cold.  
  
"EULALIA!"  
  
Here Ends Martin's Dream  
  
A/N: Whoah, I think I'll write more during English or something. More to come in a week or so, I guess I'll catch you all on the flip side, then.  
  



	10. You Shall Pay.

Martin thought long and hard about his dream. It drifted out of his memory, until it was simply a fuzzy battle that had taken place. Perhaps he was remembering past battles? At Marshank? In Mossflower? At the northshores? He heard singing drift into his ears ...   
  
"The death of an Abbey   
Sweed-sounding to me   
The downfall of war'ors   
Due to mine and yours ..."   
  
Martin raced out of his bed chamber to find the singer-- but the only creature he saw was Perigold.   
  
Perigold.   
  
"Who are you?" Martin asked. His whiskers were twitching; his ears stood erect; even his paws were rigid and straight.   
  
"What do you mean, Martin?" Perigold giggled. But it wasn't a giggle that Martin found inviting. She smiled, but Martin didn't feel drawn in by it. Her eyes twinkled, but not with the goodness he had first seen in her.   
  
"Who are you?!" he repeated, practically shouting into her face. Gonff had been walking to Cavern Hole and was now in the corridor with Perigold and Martin.   
  
"I think it's about time you answered that question, 'Perigold Lubior'," Gonff said from behind Martin. The warrior did not turn to see his friend, but stood there, continuing to fume.   
  
"I don't understand ..."   
  
"I think you understand very well, mouse," Gonff's chest was heaving by now, his breath exerted by anger.   
  
"Perigold." Martin's statement sounded more of a question. "I think you have overstayed your welcome."   
  
"You were never welcome here."   
  
"Un-welcome? Are you sending me away? Do you, as an Abbey, refuse shelter and food to a poor mouse?" Perigold's eye burned with anger and disbelief.   
  
"Go," said Martin shortly. "Go." Perigold turned and walked down the corridor. Martin followed. As she left the Abbey grounds she turned around and her eyes burned into his.   
  
"You shall pay."


End file.
